


Five Times Charles Regrets the Secret Got Out and the One Time He Does Not

by hereweshallmeetagain



Series: The Shifting Sands of Time [2]
Category: Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Charles is ghola!Leto with mutation, Emperor!Erik, F/M, M/M, Post-War, mentions of evil!Shaw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 08:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2462054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hereweshallmeetagain/pseuds/hereweshallmeetagain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Charles wondered, how his life would be like if the Book of Blood did not recognize him as Leto Atreides II,</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Charles Regrets the Secret Got Out and the One Time He Does Not

**Author's Note:**

> I’m really, really bad at keeping short pieces short. This thing is making itself a universe of its own.
> 
> If you have read _I Can Finally Stop Running_ , it'll help you understand some things. If you're a fan of Frank Herbert's Dune, you're all set. I've watched the mini series, but I haven't read the novels yet. I only picked up the relevant informations for this piece. And I'm assuming that in about 1500 years after the God Emperor of Dune, there was no more living descendants of the House Atreides, Corrino, Harkonnen and others. Only the gholas remained. Then, another five thousand years after that, only two gholas remained, Charles and Raven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what I'm doing. Really. This was supposed to be *short*.

_I have a difficult decision to make, grandmother. Do I accept the Atreides mystique, dress myself in our myths, live for my subjects and die for them; or do I choose another path, a golden path, one that may change me, change human destiny, forever?_ \- Leto Atreides II to his grandmother, Lady Jessica

 

* * *

 

 

The first time Erik requested him to attend a meeting about economic treaties on behalf of the Emperor was because his husband had an urgent military briefing concerning a small-scale rebellion started by some leftover of Shaw’s faction that they hadn’t had chance to deal with. He had gone to the meeting; lead the negotiations, supervised the treaties getting signed, and accompany the delegations to the ship when they leave. All’s well that ends well.

The second time he attend such meeting, again on Emperor’s behalf, was when Erik was stranded in another quadrant of space half-a-day away on a dispute settlement concerning two heirs of a prominent noble family. Then the third and fourth and fifth and sixth happened. Six trade negotiations is less than six month.

The seventh time, the negotiation is going, for the lack of other term, badly. He had offered a recess for the day, and to continue the next day. All sides anonymously accepted his offer. Well, alright, maybe his telepathy played a little part on convincing them to recess. Afterwards, while nursing a medium-sized headache, he returned to the Royal Wing, the Imperial Family’s residence.

Only to find his husband’s pilot suit scattered across the living room. He picked up the vest and smelled cigar smoke.

Logan. Erik was with Logan.

Then he picked up the gloves, and find miniscule vibranium scraps.

Tony. Or Steve. Or both.

A little further inside the suite was Erik’s boots. Which smelled like rocket fuel, and also had two strands of blue hair and a single blue scale stuck on the bottom.

He reached out to his sister telepathically.

_*RAVEN!*_

The reply he received was not so much words as impression of smugness and images of several small ships in the space, ended by * _Told him you will find out._ *

Fuming, he headed towards their bedroom. Just as he slammed the door open, Erik stepped out of the bathroom in only a white cloth bathrobe. His husband blinked in surprise, then smiled at him.

“Charles! I didn’t know you got out early. How is your day?”

Too bad he managed to catch that slightly-guilty-thing-that-was-hastily-shoved-to-the-back-of-mind from his lovely menace of a husband.

“My day? My day is splendid!” He answered, with sarcastic tone. ”In case you want details, here it is. I was stuck the whole day talking about trade agreements with a bunch of unfriendly bordering on hostile delegations, who were mostly upset because their Emperor *again* failed to show up! Oh, and there’s this one more thing, one of the members of delegation keep on leering at me in his mind while keeping his face straight, and I have to keep on being polite to him, because he is the head of one of the delegations!”

Somehow his tone had risen slightly, and he didn’t even realize it. If Erik wanted to know, then his husband *should* know.

“And you know what’s worse? At the exact same time, my husband, who was supposed to lead said meeting *himself*, was busy out playing space racing with his friends!”

That slightly-guilty-thing rose to surface now, getting less slight and accompanied by anger. He knew exactly which part of his speech that caused the anger (the leering man), but that didn’t lessen his headache any.

“Charles, I—“

He cut off Erik mid-speech.

“You see, Erik, I know very well that you weren’t completely willing when you took the Emperor’s mantle. But the responsibilities that came with being leader, you can’t just shove them to the next willing person simply because they are capable of doing it. Those in the meeting room today; they are your subjects, Erik. They don’t just take the words of a former emperor, who happened to resign six thousand years ago. I can help you doing your work, Erik, if you want me to. But I cannot take the whole responsibility of it from you!”

“Your presence in that room, today, would make quite a difference. Even if you were only there for an hour, maximum. It would show that you care. It will show your power. It will cement the loyalties of your subjects and allows you to see the potential disloyal ones.”

“I know what you like Erik. You enjoy being the head of military and planning the actions. You love space exploration, the smell of workshop on a space station, breaking up metals and welding your own ships. You enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with doing things with your own hands and mind. I don’t even need telepathy to know that you consider what you’re doing now is boring compared to the war against Shaw.”

“You are aware what being the Emperor involves, what it would take from you. I remember reminding you about it that day you decided to accept the responsibility. Perhaps you’ve forgotten one or two things since then.”

Seeing his husband’s guilty expression roused another feeling in him. Discomfort. Who was he to lecture another king on how to rule? Is he not the one who abhorred the idea of being the emperor who live and die for his subjects? Instead, he’d become the emperor for whom his subjects live and die in the name of the holy Golden Path?

Suddenly feeling even more tired than before, but didn’t feel like discussing this subject with Erik anymore, he choose to withdrawn.

“I’m going out for a while.” He said.

Erik worried frown informed him that he may have accidentally broadcast his discomfort.

“Charles—“

“It’s alright, Erik.” He smiled. “I’ll be back before dinner. See you later.”

He left their room in a hurry after that.

 

* * *

 

 

He was watching _Cyrill_ , the first moon of Genosha slowly rising from behind the peaks of the Alps, which was named after the similar type of mountain range existed in Old Earth, a long, long time ago. Old, ancient memory he had gotten from his ancestors confirmed this. He couldn't get more from said ancestors, however. It was not because his gift wasn't as strong as it used to be before his first spice ritual, but because the presence of said ancestors no longer lingered in his consciousness. Even ghosts faded after all. Perhaps they faded when the last direct descendant of the houses of old empire died some 5000 years ago.

Scholars have long since concluded that the whole Genosha was built after the image of Old Earth; Europe Continent, to be exact. In fact, _Mara_ , the Imperial Palace of Genosha resembled a building called Peles Palace in Romania, Old Earth, although in a much grandeur scale. The underground was different though. Instead of dark, damp basement, modern underground facilities with multiple purposes were built, from waste recycling to research labs to training rooms.

He sat on the thick windowsill of an empty watchtower, one leg folded and the other hanging out the window. Unlike in the old days, some of the watchtowers were kept empty in the modern times. The watcher function had been replaced by sensors on the roofs and cameras on the walls (which he hacked earlier in order to keep his solace for the time being).

As _Ver_ , the second, smaller moon of Genosha appeared, he felt someone hugged him from behind.

“Ghani.” Unbidden, the name came out of his lips.

“Raven.” His sister chided gently. “Are you not the one who said that that part of history is finished? That our life is here now?”

“So I did.” He said, turning around in Raven’s hold so that he could look into her eyes. “But it seems that I may have underestimated the power of memories. For I am feeling more like Leto than Charles at the moment.”

Raven didn’t say anything in reply. She simply tugged at his neck, brought their foreheads together, and then opened her mind.

 

* * *

 

 

He was watching the sun about to set over the Alps when he felt, and later heard, that someone was coming. Raven had left a while ago, her parting words had been * _come back when you’re ready_ , Charles.*

Even when he deliberately shielded himself in order not to receive any telepathic input, his other senses compensated and worked harder, revealing to him the identity to the visitor. The heavy, but nearly soundless footsteps; the very faint scent of gun oil, metal and citrus; it all pointed towards one person.

He turned around right at the moment the door opened. His husband, dressed in casual attire, entered.

“Hello there.” Erik was smiling. Not much, but when the corners of his mouth lifted like that and no teeth showing, that expression belong to the smile category.

“Hi.” He answered, smiling back a little.

“Ah, you’re watching the sunset?”Erik crossed the room and joined him at the window. He didn’t sit though, merely leaning the windowsill with his arms folded. “It was a favorite childhood hobby of mine. After the sun finally sets I would stay and watch the stars appeared one by one.”

He wasn’t sure where Erik’s going with this, but he felt best to play along for the moment.

“If I may guess,” he started asking. “You haven’t found enough time to enjoy your hobbies recently?”

The answer should be yes. He wonders how Erik would modify the ‘yes’.

Erik looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. “I suppose I haven’t. It comes with the job, I’m afraid. The infuriating reduced amounts of privacy and personal time.”

It felt like the old days, the year before the final phase of the war. Of the times they spend for discussion or bantering on various topics. Oh how he missed those days.

“Well, you’re here now, might as well enjoy the time.”

If what Erik wanted to do was stargazing, then he’s more than welcome. Although it would’ve been a little… disappointing.

“I’d love to.” The sigh that followed it was so obviously made up. Erik Lehnsherr mostly sighed when he wanted to hit someone but then said someone gave him puppy eyed look pitiful enough to stop him. “But I’m on a mission at the moment. I’m trying to locate my husband.”

Ah, so here’s the play. One of the things he loved in Erik, his moments of unpredictability.

“I suppose he went missing some time ago?” He asked, shifting position, leaning with his back to the window sill so that he can face Erik.

Erik’s blue-gray eyes were looking back at him, pensive. He wasn’t using his telepathy, had enough control not to ‘read’ people even on such close distance. No. Telepathy wasn’t going to be part of this conversation. If Erik wanted to say something, his husband would have to say it with *words*, not thought.

“I’ve done something that really upset him today.” Erik began. He obviously caught the ‘no telepathy message. “Not for the first time, to be honest, but he only scolded me for it this afternoon. It seems that I have taken for granted my genius, diplomatic husband, and taken advantage of him more than I should."

He said the first thing that comes to mind. The very thing that made him left earlier.

“He doesn’t really have any right to scold you.”

“How so?” Erik asked, obviously that wasn’t the reply he expected.

“A former Emperor who called himself God-Emperor and ruled for over three thousand years while making his people worship him didn’t have any ground to scold you on how you run your kingdom. He wasn’t even very far from what Shaw set himself to become. He—”

A finger upon his lips stopped him mid-sentence.

“First of all,” his husband began, fierce and honest. “He was nothing, nothing at all like Shaw. Now, you don’t get to question this, because I married this man and if I say he is nothing like Shaw then you’ll just have to believe it.”

Oh. That made the discomfort a little bit lighter.

“Second,” Erik continued. “ _He_ has every right. To scold me, to question my decision, to review my plans, to use everything he has at his disposal to help me make it better. He earned that right when he followed me into the war with Shaw, a war he had nothing to do with, one he could’ve walk away from had he wished to. That right became absolute, legitimized and unchallengeable the moment he promised, in front of the Empire and the whole universe, to love me and stay with me through the good and bad, together until only death separate us.”

“For me, personally, the right became absolute a long time before our wedding. It was the one night he made a promise to me, on the bridge of a ship in Aldebaran system, that he will stay with me and help me become a better man.”

Then Erik's lips replaced his finger.

Their kiss wasn't chaste, though. There were never any chaste kisses between them. It was passionate, but gentle. When they parted, it wasn't followed by removal of clothes (neither frantic nor slow). Erik simply held him, and they spend the next hour talking while watching the stars blinked into existence in Genoshan sky.

Life in Genosha...was great.

However, he did wonder, sometimes, how great it would be if no one in Genosha ever find out about Leto Atreides II.

 

End chapter 1

* * *

 

I found this image on the net. It kind of fitting with this chapter. Even if his seating position did not quite fit the story, his expression does.

_He was watching_ Cyrill _, the first moon of Genosha slowly rising from behind the peaks of the Alps, which was named after the similar type of mountain range existed in Old Earth, a long, long time ago._

 (in case the picture didn't show up, as it often do, I'll give you the link [here](http://bayimg.com/OAcJNaaGb))

 


End file.
